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Reg's & Stage warranties, worth it or not??? (sorry if this question had been hammered)
- Thread starter Marty Bess
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I'd recommend a lower IP for a cold water regulator than a warm water one......
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
Another thing to think about is that every time a regulator gets torn down and gone through there is always a little bit of wear and tear on threads and surfaces. There is also a risk to delicate surfaces that can get scratched or screwed up by heavy handed and sloppy techs. To take a reg in every year just for FPFL to me is nuts. Maybe this is part of the plan, to wear it out from unneeded services so you have to buy a new reg every 7-10 years.
I remember when SP had their annual service thing going, If you didn’t take it in every year (whether it needed it or not) you could DIE!!! Because it was critical “life support” gear!!!
My dive shop used to tell me this along with “They wear out quicker if you don’t use them as much”.
Now it’s every two years on the same stuff, Oh really? What changed??
As has been mentioned already, soak the reg set while it’s hooked up to a tank and pressurized. I have regs that have gone 3-5 years and still hold perfect IP. I’ve torn some regs down after 5 years and the inside looks as pristine as the day I serviced it!
Pistons need to be checked and at least cleaned up every few years just because of the design of the ambient chamber, exposed O-rings, etc.
On my piston regs I run the hose through the ambient chamber holes after it’s been soaked to make sure I purge out any stagnant salty water.
But something like a Conshelf that has been cleaned properly after each dive session can go years without worry.
I remember when SP had their annual service thing going, If you didn’t take it in every year (whether it needed it or not) you could DIE!!! Because it was critical “life support” gear!!!
My dive shop used to tell me this along with “They wear out quicker if you don’t use them as much”.
Now it’s every two years on the same stuff, Oh really? What changed??
As has been mentioned already, soak the reg set while it’s hooked up to a tank and pressurized. I have regs that have gone 3-5 years and still hold perfect IP. I’ve torn some regs down after 5 years and the inside looks as pristine as the day I serviced it!
Pistons need to be checked and at least cleaned up every few years just because of the design of the ambient chamber, exposed O-rings, etc.
On my piston regs I run the hose through the ambient chamber holes after it’s been soaked to make sure I purge out any stagnant salty water.
But something like a Conshelf that has been cleaned properly after each dive session can go years without worry.
I recently brought my Aqua Lung Air Source 2 back to my LDS for its first annual inspection.
The price I was going to be charged (until I bitched and moaned) was outrageous. I asked the service tech what he did to inspect the part and he stated "that he remove some sand from the inflate button."
I did the math on the cost of inspection of all my new Aqualung gear, on an average of 10 dives per year...(mostly freshwater) I found that I would be paying almost five times the total of a parts replacement every three years.
The price I was going to be charged (until I bitched and moaned) was outrageous. I asked the service tech what he did to inspect the part and he stated "that he remove some sand from the inflate button."
I did the math on the cost of inspection of all my new Aqualung gear, on an average of 10 dives per year...(mostly freshwater) I found that I would be paying almost five times the total of a parts replacement every three years.
Out of curiosity how much were you quoted for the inspection? And, what did you end up paying?
When I was a poor grad student, I'd tear apart my reg to address any problems I might have. However, academic diving rules have changed and now I have to take my regs in for service annually whether or not I (or the manufacturer, for that matter) think they need it. (I also have to take myself in for annual inspection and get the doc's sign-off.) I'm pretty sure that's going to be true for all scientific diving operations in the US. I suppose if I got myself a technician certificate I could theoretically do it myself.
I wonder how this works under OSHA or other workplace rules? Do dive shop employees have to get their gear serviced regularly?
I wonder how this works under OSHA or other workplace rules? Do dive shop employees have to get their gear serviced regularly?
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
I have an Aqua Lung as well and while I dive enough per year right now to warrant keeping up with the annual inspection/overhaul schedule that alternates year to year, I may not necessarily keep up with it should my dive count per year not justify that.
My LDS charges about $25-$30 for the alternating year inspection. I can't remember what I pay for an overhaul on the alternating year with the PFL program. Maybe @TGIF can answer this one for me. I have the Legend LX second stage and octo.
For a full service, you're looking at about $30 per stage in labor (so $90 for your first, second and octo). The price of parts kits vary by band and kit, but they're usually about $25-$30 per stage. You're looking at a savings of about $90 every two years or 100 dives, whichever comes first.
In my experience, yes. All of our gear and the rental gear followed a servicing schedule and everything was done every 100 dives or 1 year (whichever came first).
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